Canned veggies and fruit, cereal, peanut butter, spaghetti and other pastas, soap and detergents – practically all non-perishable or household items – are desperately needed as members of our community struggle to feed their families.

North Manchester residents can help their less-fortunate neighbors during the 2009 Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week collaboration between Manchester College and community organizations and friends. Capping the week is the ninth annual Community Food Drive on Saturday, Nov. 21 for the North Manchester Fellowship Food Pantry.

Expectations are high. Last year, the door-to-door collection brought more than 2,500 pounds of much-needed food and household supplies to the pantry, said Katie Garrett-Diener, student director for the College Office of Volunteer Services.

Volunteers are invited to help distribute grocery bags to the doorsteps of homes in North Manchester. The distribution begins at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19. “Anyone is welcome to participate: students, staff, faculty, community members,” said Garrett-Diener. Volunteers will gather in the parking lot between Garver and East residence halls, on East Street.

“This is one of our major volunteer services events of the year. We try to get everyone to participate. It’s important to the community that we collect even more items for the pantry this year,” said Garrett-Diener, a political science major from Wolcott, Ind., who will graduate next spring.

Volunteers will collect the filled bags between 10 a.m. and noon on Saturday, Nov. 21. (A Monday sweep of the community will collect any remaining bags.)

To volunteer to distribute or collect the bags (donated by Lance’s Food Market), contact the Manchester College Office of Volunteer Services at ovs@manchester.edu or 982-5084.

The Manchester Food Pantry is open 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays at 500 N. Front St., and sponsored by the Fellowship of Churches.

The food drive is a coordinated effort of the College Office of Volunteer Services, Circle K, Manchester High School Key Club and individual volunteers. Following the bag distribution, volunteers will be treated to lunch by the Office of Volunteer Services.